Auckland man Bruce Groves travels north several times every year to tend to the graves of his mother, Kathleen Dixon, and grandfather Robert (Bob) Henry Dixon, in Kaitaia's public cemetery. But the state of the older graves at St Saviour's Anglican Church, including those of some of his forebears, was
Forebears gone - and forgotten?
Northland Age
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He also noted that the headstone marking the grave of Rev Joseph Matthews, who founded the Kaitaia mission in 1834, was all but obscured by grass and agapanthus, which were thriving throughout that part of the cemetery.
Mr Groves believed the church had an obligation to the founding members of its congregation, at least to the extent of keeping their graves weeded, and if that was not possible he expected the families to take care of their own.
A spokesperson for the vestry said plans were in hand for upgrading the church yard in its entirety, but while the vestry accepted responsibility for mowing the lawns, it was up to the families to care for the graves.
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